Officials report the fire destroyed a building more than a century old.  The building had housed an auto parts store along with four other storefronts.  As a result, nearly a full block of what had been Shelbina’s main drag is now gone.

The fire is one of three devastating events that have plagued Shelbina in the recent past.  A fire last year destroyed Shelbina’s bowling alley not far from the strip that burned this week.  Mother Nature also administered a serious punch to the city of Shelbina when two EF1 tornadoes made their mark on Shelbina this past June 27th as storms toppled trees and knocked out power in northeast Missouri.

Thursday afternoon, work crews from the city of Shelbina demolished the ruins of the buildings consumed by the fire. 

Luckily, there were no injuries in the blaze.  ten fire departments and 70 firefighters were on scene for at least five hours fighting the fire. 

Three buildings were gutted by the blaze–Sam’s Auto Parts, Photos To Remember, and a collectibles store called The Chicken Coop.  Two other buildings were also damaged, along with an antique store on the north end of the building.  The north wall of the antique store had crumbled long before the fire.  Shelbina city officials were in the process of securing an emergency grant to tear down the entire building and another building to the north, at the time of the fire.

An historic stone facade with the names and founding years of several Shelbina historic businesses, including the Bank of Shelbina, was a part of the structure.  The facade dated as far back as 1907, and unfortunately the building was the only real historic building left in the Shelbina business district.

The cause of the blaze is yet to be determined.  Witnesses on scene described the fire as a horrible event.